Biofilm formation and interspecies interactions in mixed cultures of thermo-acidophilic archaea Acidianus spp. and Sulfolobus metallicus

2016 ◽  
Vol 167 (7) ◽  
pp. 604-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Castro ◽  
Ruiyong Zhang ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
Sören Bellenberg ◽  
Thomas R. Neu ◽  
...  
2013 ◽  
Vol 825 ◽  
pp. 107-110
Author(s):  
Sören Bellenberg ◽  
Robert Barthen ◽  
Mario Vera ◽  
Nicolas Guiliani ◽  
Wolfgang Sand

A functional luxIR-type Quorum Sensing (QS) system is present in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. However, cell-cell communication among various acidophilic chemolithoautotrophs growing on pyrite has not been studied in detail. These aspects are the scope of this study with emphasis on the effects exerted by the N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) type signaling molecules which are produced by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Their effects on attachment and leaching efficiency by other leaching bacteria, such as Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans, Acidiferrobacter spp. SPIII/3 and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans in pure and mixed cultures growing on pyrite is shown.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sapna Chitlapilly Dass ◽  
Joseph M. Bosilevac ◽  
Maggie Weinroth ◽  
Christian G. Elowsky ◽  
You Zhou ◽  
...  

Abstract Biofilm formation by foodborne pathogens is a serious threat to food safety and public health. Meat processing plants may harbor various microorganisms and occasional foodborne pathogens; thus, the environmental microbial community might impact pathogen survival via mixed biofilm formation. We collected floor drain samples from two beef plants with different E. coli O157:H7 prevalence history and investigated the effects of the environmental microorganisms on pathogen sanitizer tolerance. The results showed that biofilm forming ability and bacterial species composition varied considerably based on the plants and drain locations. E. coli O157:H7 cells obtained significantly higher sanitizer tolerance in mixed biofilms by samples from the plant with recurrent E. coli O157:H7 prevalence than those mixed with samples from the other plant. The mixed biofilm that best protected E. coli O157:H7 also had the highest species diversity. The percentages of the species were altered significantly after sanitization, suggesting that the community composition affects the role and tolerance level of each individual species. Therefore, the unique environmental microbial community, their ability to form biofilms on contact surfaces and the interspecies interactions all play roles in E. coli O157:H7 persistence by either enhancing or reducing pathogen survival within the biofilm community.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (155) ◽  
pp. 20190042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulina A. Dzianach ◽  
Gary A. Dykes ◽  
Norval J. C. Strachan ◽  
Ken J. Forbes ◽  
Francisco J. Pérez-Reche

This article reviews modern applications of mathematical descriptions of biofilm formation. The focus is on theoretically obtained results which have implications for areas including the medical sector, food industry and wastewater treatment. Examples are given as to how models have contributed to the overall knowledge on biofilms and how they are used to predict biofilm behaviour. We conclude that the use of mathematical models of biofilms has demonstrated over the years the ability to significantly contribute to the vast field of biofilm research. Among other things, they have been used to test various hypotheses on the nature of interspecies interactions, viability of biofilm treatment methods or forces behind observed biofilm pattern formations. Mathematical models can also play a key role in future biofilm research. Many models nowadays are analysed through computer simulations and continue to improve along with computational capabilities. We predict that models will keep on providing answers to important challenges involving biofilm formation. However, further strengthening of the ties between various disciplines is necessary to fully use the tools of collective knowledge in tackling the biofilm phenomenon.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1130 ◽  
pp. 105-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Yong Zhang ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
Thomas R. Neu ◽  
Qian Li ◽  
Sören Bellenberg ◽  
...  

Biofilm formation of microorganisms on relevant surfaces is of great importance for biomining and acid mine drainage (AMD). Thermo-acidophilic archaea like Acidianus, Sulfolobus and Metallosphaera are of special interest due to their ability to enhance leaching rates. Visualization and investigation of microbial attachment and biofilm formation of metal-oxidizing organisms up to now has been done mostly with mesophilic or moderately thermophilic bacteria. In this study, attachment and biofilms by the crenarchaeota Sulfolobus metallicus DSM 6482T and a new isolate Acidianus sp. DSM 29099 on sulfur or pyrite were analyzed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) combined with fluorescent dyes specific for nucleic acids or glycoconjugates were used to monitor biofilm formation on surfaces. The data indicate that cell attachment and the subsequently formed biofilm structures were species and substrate dependent. The investigation of binary biofilms on pyrite showed that both species were heterogeneously distributed on pyrite surfaces in the form of individual cells or microcolonies. In addition, physical contact between the two species was visible, as revealed by specific lectins able to distinguish single species.


2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Toledo-Silva ◽  
Fernando N. de Souza ◽  
Kristien Mertens ◽  
Sofie Piepers ◽  
Freddy Haesebrouck ◽  
...  

AbstractBiofilm formation is a significant virulence factor in Staphylococcus (S.) aureus strains causing subclinical mastitis in dairy cows. A role of environmental signals and communication systems in biofilm development, such as the agr system in S. aureus, is suggested. In the context of multispecies biofilm communities, the presence of non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) might influence S. aureus colonization of the bovine mammary gland, yet, such interspecies interactions have been poorly studied. We determined whether 34 S. chromogenes, 11 S. epidermidis, and 14 S. simulans isolates originating from bovine milk samples and teat apices (TA) were able to affect biofilm formation and dispersion of S. aureus, and if so, how isolate traits such as the capacity to regulate the S. aureus agr quorum sensing system are determinants in this process. The capacity of an agr-positive S. aureus strain to form biofilm was increased more in the presence of S. chromogenes than in the presence of S. simulans and S. epidermidis isolates and in the presence of NAS isolates that do not harbor biofilm related genes. On the other hand, biofilm dispersion of this particular S. aureus strain was suppressed by NAS as a group, an effect that was more pronounced by isolates from TA. Furthermore, the observed effects on biofilm formation and dispersion of the agr-positive S. aureus strain as well as of an agr-negative S. aureus strain did not depend on the capacity of NAS to repress the agr system.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexi A. Schoenborn ◽  
Sarah M. Yannarell ◽  
E. Diane Wallace ◽  
Haley Clapper ◽  
Ilon C. Weinstein ◽  
...  

Bacterial specialized (or secondary) metabolites are structurally diverse molecules that mediate intra- and interspecies interactions by altering growth and cellular physiology and differentiation. Bacillus subtilis , a Gram-positive model bacterium commonly used to study biofilm formation and sporulation, has the capacity to produce over ten specialized metabolites. Some of these B. subtilis specialized metabolites have been investigated for their role in facilitating cellular differentiation, only rarely has the behavior of multiple metabolites been simultaneously investigated. In this study, we explored the interconnectivity of differentiation (biofilm and sporulation) and specialized metabolites in B. subtilis . Specifically, we interrogated how development influences specialized metabolites and vice versa. Using the sporulation-inducing medium DSM, we found that the majority of the specialized metabolites examined are expressed and produced during biofilm formation and sporulation. Additionally, we found that six of these metabolites (surfactin, ComX, bacillibactin, bacilysin, subtilosin A, and plipastatin) are necessary signaling molecules for proper progression of B. subtilis differentiation. This study further supports the growing body of work demonstrating that specialized metabolites have essential physiological functions as cell-cell communication signals in bacteria. Importance/Significance Bacterially produced specialized metabolites are frequently studied for their potential use as antibiotics and antifungals. However, a growing body of work has suggested that the antagonistic potential of specialized metabolites is not their only function. Here, using Bacillus subtilis as our model bacterium, we demonstrated that developmental processes such as biofilm formation and sporulation are tightly linked with specialized metabolite gene expression and production. Additionally, under our differentiation-inducing conditions, six out of the nine specialized metabolites investigated behave as intraspecific signals that impact B. subtilis physiology and influence biofilm formation and sporulation. Our work supports the viewpoint that specialized metabolites have a clear role as cell-cell signaling molecules within differentiated populations of bacteria.


2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 604-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina V. Kuznetsova ◽  
Irina L. Maslennikova ◽  
Tamara I. Karpunina ◽  
Larisa Yu. Nesterova ◽  
Vitaly A. Demakov

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli are known to be involved in mixed communities in diverse niches. In this study we examined the influence of the predominant form of cell existence of and the exometabolite production by P. aeruginosa strains on interspecies interactions, in vitro. Bacterial numbers of P. aeruginosa and E. coli in mixed plankton cultures and biofilms compared with their numbers in single plankton cultures and biofilms changed in a different way, but were in accordance with the form of P. aeruginosa cell existence. The mass of a mixed-species biofilm was greater than the mass of a single-species biofilm. Among the mixed biofilms, the one with the “planktonic” P. aeruginosa strain had the least biomass. The total pyocyanin and pyoverdin levels were found to be lower in all mixed plankton cultures. Despite this, clinical P. aeruginosa strains irrespective of the predominant form of existence (“biofilm” or “planktonic”) had a higher total concentration of exometabolites than did the reference strain in 12–24 h mixed cultures. The metabolism of E. coli, according to its bioluminescence, was reduced in mixed cultures, and the decrease was by 20- to 100-fold greater with the clinical Pseudomonas strains than the reference Pseudomonas strain. Thus, both the predominant form of existence of and the exometabolite production by distinct P. aeruginosa strains should be considered to fully understand the interspecies relationship and bacteria survival in natural communities.


Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginie Lemoine ◽  
Clément Bernard ◽  
Charlotte Leman-Loubière ◽  
Barbara Clément-Larosière ◽  
Marion Girardot ◽  
...  

Biofilm-related infections are a matter of concern especially because of the poor susceptibility of microorganisms to conventional antimicrobial agents. Innovative approaches are needed. The antibiofilm activity of extracts of cyanobacteria Arthrospira platensis, rich in free fatty acids, as well as of extract-loaded copper alginate-based nanocarriers, were studied on single- and dual-species biofilms of Candida albicans and Cutibacterium acnes. Their ability to inhibit the biofilm formation and to eradicate 24 h old biofilms was investigated. Concentrations of each species were evaluated using flow cytometry. Extracts prevented the growth of C. acnes single-species biofilms (inhibition > 75% at 0.2 mg/mL) but failed to inhibit preformed biofilms. Nanovectorised extracts reduced the growth of single-species C. albicans biofilms (inhibition > 43% at 0.2 mg/mL) while free extracts were weakly or not active. Nanovectorised extracts also inhibited preformed C. albicans biofilms by 55% to 77%, whereas the corresponding free extracts were not active. In conclusion, even if the studied nanocarrier systems displayed promising activity, especially against C. albicans, their efficacy against dual-species biofilms was limited. This study highlighted that working in such polymicrobial conditions can give a more objective view of the relevance of antibiofilm strategies by taking into account interspecies interactions that can offer additional protection to microbes.


2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 203-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Müller ◽  
Sarah N. Strack ◽  
Sarah E. Ryan ◽  
Daniel B. Kearns ◽  
John R. Kirby

ABSTRACTBiofilm formation is a common mechanism for surviving environmental stress and can be triggered by both intraspecies and interspecies interactions. Prolonged predator-prey interactions between the soil bacteriumMyxococcus xanthusandBacillus subtiliswere found to induce the formation of a new type ofB. subtilisbiofilm, termed megastructures. Megastructures are tree-like brachiations that are as large as 500 μm in diameter, are raised above the surface between 150 and 200 μm, and are filled with viable endospores embedded within a dense matrix. Megastructure formation did not depend on TasA, EpsE, SinI, RemA, or surfactin production and thus is genetically distinguishable from colony biofilm formation on MSgg medium. AsB. subtilisendospores are not susceptible to predation byM. xanthus, megastructures appear to provide an alternative mechanism for survival. In addition,M. xanthusfruiting bodies were found immediately adjacent to the megastructures in nearly all instances, suggesting thatM. xanthusis unable to acquire sufficient nutrients from cells housed within the megastructures. Lastly, aB. subtilismutant lacking the ability to defend itself via bacillaene production formed megastructures more rapidly than the parent. Together, the results indicate that production of the megastructure facilitatesB. subtilisescape into dormancy via sporulation.


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